WTM Vision Conference sounds note of caution over Dubai Expo 2020

Hosting the EXPO 2020 trade fair will bring more than 17 million international visitors to Dubai reveals exclusive research released by the WTM Vision Conference - Dubai.

The research, carried out by Euromonitor International, states that some 70 per cent of the 25 million predicted visitors will be from outside the United Arab Emirates.

It estimates that to accommodate this influx existing hotel stock will need to be doubled, warning “there are concerns about the potential oversupply of hotels after the Expo when visitors numbers will be hard to maintain”.

The UAE is highlighted in the research as a tourism bright spot in the Middle East, seeing an increase in visitor numbers this year compared with the rest of the region which is stagnant.

The UK is the Emirate’s third most important source market after Saudi Arabia and India.

In 2018, the UK will still be number three, although stronger growth will come from China, driven by “strengthening economic ties”.

Business and leisure tourism across the Middle East is helped by the region’s airlines and supporting airport infrastructure. Etihad, Emirates and Qatar airlines are leading the charge, although Euromonitor International adds that smaller carriers such as Oman Air, flydubai and Air Arabia are important players too.

The impact of “instability and unrest” on Egypt’s tourism is a drop in international visitors from 15 million in 2010 to nine million in 2013, with receipts falling by 40 per cent over the same period, said the report.

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Dubai Expo 2020 is expected to attract 25 million visitors, 70 per cent of which will be from overseas. This will be the first Expo in which the majority of visitors stem from beyond a nation’s borders. Running from 20 October 2020 through 10 April 2021, the Expo will launch…